A Closer Look: Jeff Augustin and Martyna Majok

For our interviews, Jeff Augustin and I decided to steal. Or, to pay homage. In 2014, I took part in Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s First Look Series of New Work. I was doing a workshop production of Ironbound and, for their programs, the very smart Jenni Paige-White and Aaron Carter came up with a questions pyramid. Jeff and I decided to do that, with our own questions. -Martyna Majok

The Questions

In one word, what is your play about?
In two words, what was the best part of our workshop?
In three words, what was your memorable theatre experience?
In four words, what dreams do you have for the characters in your play?
In five words, what is your dream for the American theater?
In six words, describe what about this play motivates you to write it.
In seven words, describe how this play challenges you as a writer.
In eight words, what did you need before you could begin writing this play?
In nine words, what is your play about?
In ten words, in what future projects should we look out for you?

Jeff

Escape
The people
Poetic. Bare. Consuming.
Let go, find self-worth.
Respect for artists through compensation.
What is New England? Who are New Englanders?
Deeply personal, all takes place at night.
Leave the city, have a glass of whiskey
Adults stuck in the American Dream, a teenager wanting more
Haitian folklore, ownership over one’s narrative, childhood and adulthood colliding

A Closer Look is a series published by The Lark in order to allow our audiences and community to engage more deeply with the work of our featured playwrights. Jeff and Martyna interview one another in advance of their upcoming readings in The 2016 Rita Goldberg Playwrights' Workshop Reading Series.